Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Everyone knows New Year’s Eve was amateur hour, so come celebrate the end of civilization like a proper mutant with 2019: AFTER THE FALL OF NEW YORK (1983)! Italian auteur Sergio Martino directed this stylish post-apocalyptic banger (under the nom de plume “Martin Dolman”) in the box-office fallout of sci-fi blockbusters Escape from New York, The Ultimate Warrior, Mad Max 2 and Alien. B-movie stud Michael Sopkiw stars as Parsifal, a ruggedly handsome Snake Plissken knock-off who is sent into the wasteland of post-WWIII New York City to rescue the last surviving fertile woman who possesses the…um…proverbial holy grail of humanity’s future (talk about final girls!). Along the way, Parsifal’s band of Arthurian mercenaries encounter cyborgs, radiated mutants, sewer dwellers, rat eaters, jazz trumpets, extremely outdated laser FX, and, most importantly, the towering 6’ 9” George Eastman as “Big Ape.” This is obviously the most fun you will ever have realizing that our awful dystopian future is...NOW! Tickets available here.

Sunday, February 03, 2019

Recorded “live” straight from my dual turntables with proper disk jockey aplomb (read: dubious vinyl quality, erratic volume issues and plenty of spilled beer) and limited to 50 hand numbered cassettes. Only way to get a copy is by attending my WYRD WAR ON WHEELS biker flick triple feature at The Hollywood Theatre on Thursday February 7, 2019. Doors open at 5:30. First movie starts at 6pm. First come, first served. Take the trip, baby.

Thursday, January 17, 2019

The One Motorcycle Show is the wildest motorcycle party in town and this year WYRD WAR kicks off the greasy festivities with a full-throttle evening of biker cinema sure to satisfy earnest speed enthusiasts and beer guzzlin’ cinephiles alike. Welcome to WYRD WAR ON WHEELS, baby! This high-octane triple movie marathon juxtaposes authentic contemporary motorcycle culture with the premier North American screening of British director Gareth Maxwell Roberts’ 2019 documentary OIL IN THE BLOOD and hilariously belligerent genre tropes with two feature length grindhouse biker classics! Make the scene for a raucous trifecta of roaring engines and snarling counterculture revolution, mother! OIL IN THE BLOOD starts at 6pm, followed by an onstage Q&A with director Gareth Roberts moderated by your ever faithful host, Dennis Dread. After the documentary, things will get wyrd with two back-to-back repertory biker flick surprises at 8:30 and 10pm! “Hey, we all know how we’re gonna die, baby. We’re gonna crash and burn!”

Sunday, December 09, 2018

Join us on Wednesday December 19th at The Lovecraft Bar as we celebrate another trip around the sun for WYRD WAR's very own Mother Meadow! I will be joined on the wheel of pain by two very special guest DJs from the north as we lay down our souls to the sweet lil piece o' hillbilly ass that created my designated drivers and (near) future dementia caretakers!
Of course, we shall raise the horn of blood to all of our winter-born sons of fire and daughters of the black moon as well.
8pm until late. And, yes, I am just as surprised as you to know there are still local establishments that Meadow is not permanently banned from at this point. Flyer by A.K. Wilson.

Sunday, December 02, 2018

The gates have now closed on SHADOW OF DEMONS! Thank you to everyone who came out Friday night to share the grand closing reception with us. I can't honestly imagine a better assembly of incredible people in one room. Thank you to everyone at AFRU Gallery for welcoming WYRD WAR into their space for the month of November, especially Jonas, Ryan and Rustyn. Very special thanks to King Ghidora and LEBENDEN TOTEN for taking command of the sound waves. And last but certainly not least, thank you to my friend Brian Chankin of Deadly Prey for so generously sharing his treasures. Until next time...Hail to Ghana!

Friday, November 30, 2018

Today we hail and remember the legacy of Portland underground heavy metal band XINR. On November 30, 1984, as they rode back to their rehearsal house to practice for a show the following night, singer Tony Saiz and guitarist Shaun Tramel were killed on their motorcycle by a car that ran a stop sign at SE Woodward Street and 39th Avenue (now known as César E. Chávez Blvd.), tragically ending the ascent of what might have become the biggest local band since Wild Dogs. R.I.P. Tony and Shaun. Love to their surviving friends and families. Blast The Ghostly Galleon today and TRUST XINR!

(L to R): Kenny Stocks (bass), Paul Dreyer (drums) and Roger DeCarlo (guitar) reunited for the first time in 28 years in September 2012 at East End for one very special evening. Photo by Chris Hoard

(The Gig That Never Happened): a somber moment on stage at East End as Roger DeCarlo displays the original flier for the XINR gig scheduled for December 1, 1984 that never happened due to the motorcycle accident that took the lives of Tony Saiz and Shaun Tramel one night earlier. Photo by Anna Wilson.

Monday, November 26, 2018

Join us this Friday November 30th at AFRU Gallery as we close the gates on SHADOW OF DEMONS forever!
Doors open at 6pm and LEBENDEN TOTEN will raze the gallery to rubble at approximately 10pm. This has been one of the most popular and successful exhibits I have ever had the pleasure of curating, and I've assembled quite a few noteworthy shows over the years. Many of the paintings in this exhibit have sold and after the closing reception they will slip away into private collections, so this is truly your last opportunity to experience this spectacular collection of Ghana movie posters assembled in one massive space. Due to capacity limitations, I recommend arriving before 10pm if you want to get inside to see LEBENDEN TOTEN. I'll probably be playing records too. Don't miss it!

I have to be honest, the month went by way too fast and I am definitely going to miss standing in the SHADOW OF DEMONS. Just look at these beautiful treasures from the golden age of Ghana's mobile cinema movement by master painters Jasper and J.A. Atesin, faithfully (and rather uncharacteristically) replicating the original American VHS box art.

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Wyrd War proudly presents this previously undiscovered collection of wild improvisational explorations from Emmy award winning jazz composer and film industry veteran Roger Kellaway. Recorded on prepared piano in December 1977 during his inspired sessions for director Karen Arthur’s mind-blowing psychotic cinematic drama The Mafu Cage, THE MAFU DANCES are powerful expressions of the maestro’s experimental compositional prowess sure to astonish fans of his more traditional work (such as his end credits theme for 70s sitcom All in the Family, which has essentially burned its melody into the hippocampus of anyone over the age of 40). Side One was recorded live at UCLA on December 9, 1977, while Side Two consists of themes improvised at Kellaway’s home studio in Thousand Oaks, California on December 2, 1977 during the recording of his score for The Mafu Cage. Explode into the outer limits of the avant-garde with percussive tribal cadences that nod toward John Cage, Harry Partch and Milford Graves. Sourced from Kellaway’s personal archives and mastered for vinyl by Timothy Stollenwerk. Available now for the first time in any format and strictly limited to 500 copies worldwide. Available for pre-order NOW and shipping immediately for Wyrd War webstore supporters! Worldwide release date: December 19, 2018.

Sunday, November 04, 2018

Thank you to everyone who came out this weekend to stand and be counted in the...SHADOW OF DEMONS! It was an amazing and inspiring night in every way. And to think, with absolutely no mention from the local press we had over 400 visitors attend the opening reception...and stick around all night! Wyrd War supporters are the best! The exhibit will be on display at AFRU Gallery every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 2pm until 6pm with our closing reception on Friday November 30 from 6pm until midnight with a live performance by Lebenden Toten! I will personally be at the gallery on Saturday November 10, Sunday November 18 and Saturday November 24 if you want a private tour of the show. Very special thanks to my friend Brian Chankin of Deadly Prey Gallery in Chicago and his beautiful family and the entire crew at AFRU Gallery!